Laya,
I am glad that you intend to continue your studies into the arcane secrets of Osterra. I am of the belief that awakening the ley lines will be key in keeping the Everwar at bay and failing that, combating the dark arcana that has already become apparent. I have already taught you to Sense Arcana so I assume you can already feel that the ley lines are being accessed by others than ourselves. This is likely the work of Shagarash or one of the demonic entities encroaching onto this world.
During the Rites of Spring I was able to teach you and a few others such as Darcy and Geth to see the lines and draw power from them. However, my path is primarily that of the Warrior, so my access to this wellspring is limited. I can only show you the path and act as a guide so far. It will be up to you to truly awaken arcana in this world again. Do not fear, as your enemies shall be mine as well as long as you follow this path.
Speaking of enemies, several have made themselves known to us already. The Orcs, according to the magical missive decoded by those I taught to read the runic language, are working for some demon intent on bringing the Everwar to Osterra. Their necromancer has also corrupted one among us, so sayeth the missive. I have my suspicions as to the identity of this poor soul but require further evidence before I make an open accusation.
There is also the demon Sicaris, who took control of Grisson's body and mocked my patron God, Tharros. I do not believe him to be one in the same as the entity controlling the orcs, but his presence is also disconcerting. His mockery shall not be forgotten, and I swore to him that I would feed his heart to the Great Black Lion. Grisson intends to search out some ruins rumored to hold arcane secrets. These ruins could be valuable to our research, and we should make efforts to secure these secrets for our efforts before they fall into the wrong hands.
Finally, there are the Risa Fae. I am not ready to call them enemies yet, but I do believe them to be dangerous. I met one of their number and she told me that in a precious era, High Arcana ruled this world. Maguses of immense power had full access to the lines and Osterra was a land of magical marvels. Apparently the Risa saw this as an affront to nature and cast a mighty spell of their own, mind blasting all of the mages and putting the lines to sleep for ages. This is the reason why arcana is subdued here, but ready to be tapped into once again. I told the fae of my intention to awaken these energies once again in defense of Osterra and was met with disdain. She told me the Risa would be watching me and my ilk. Be wary of them and those they hold sway over as they will surely hinder our efforts.
Of the Wards, I had some success in keeping the orcs from physically entering the grove. I was unable to fight them directly as my concentration was fully upon the barrier. This leads me to an unsettling conclusion. If the orcs did not have access to the orbs in the aftermath of the Ritual, then one of our own must have stolen the orb. We must discover the identity of the thief and their intentions before it falls back into the hands of the orcs. Seek me out soon and I will show you how to conjure these wards yourself, as I am sure we will have need of them.
May the Lion Guide your path in these dark times.
~X
